Sonic & Metal
by J.H.K. Fairmoans
Summary: Sonic and Metal Sonic engage each other in combat!...And not all wounds are physical...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I hold no copyright on the owner's original works, or anything relative to the current copyright holders' material that the following story is based on. This was written for non-commercial purposes. Please enjoy, review, comment, critique, and check out my other stories!

An enclosed steel fist flings itself towards a blur of blue with utmost force, intent on crushing the moving object and rendering it forever inert. Sidestepping the blow, the target in question narrowly dodges attempted blow after blow as it gives ground and moves backward to a precarious ledge. Attempting to trade blows with its counterpart the tactically managed fallback of Sonic the Hedgehog is at its last hold. With a further leap back and only a ledge to stand on, the Hero of Mobius quips at his metal evil twin, "So, are you gonna hit me or do ya plan on punchin' the air all day?"

His sarcasm has no effect on the metal construct made in his image, Metal Sonic. It also belies Sonic's own concern in how he'll be able to keep himself alive. This new and improved version of Metal has landed quite a few blows upon Sonic, and Sonic…well…he hasn't had any luck doing more than scratching the paint off of his evil twin.

Reaching for his "ace in the hole" power ring Sonic activates it behind his back as his nemesis charges forward this time, with its cold steel talons thrust forward in the attempt to eviscerate its foe.

Surrounded by glowing ring energy, Sonic blasts around Metal before the droid's processors are capable of running its logic sequencers to deduce what has just occurred before it is suddenly slammed off the edge of the building with such force that its very armor buckles and it tumbles down to the earth. Smashing into a myriad of pieces on the sludge-streaked streets of Robotropolis…

…At least that was how Sonic had _envisioned_ the fight going. **Instead**, our hero was currently resting on a tree branch a couple of feet above the floor of the woods. He was reminiscing as he was still recovering from his near-death experience courtesy of Robotnik's pet, Metal. The wounds had mostly healed, he'd have some scars from this experience to remind him to not be quite-so-confident. That was really an overstatement really, his ego had been cracked, as had several of his ribs a few weeks ago. The injuries sustained in the fight when he had been hit and flung down the rooftop were healed, but mentally and emotionally, the guy who thought he could never lose a fight had almost been proven dead wrong.

If it hadn't been for Sally's hacking of the security system via her handheld supercomputer, Nichole, Metal would have finished Sonic off where he had lain motionless on the ground from having fallen several stories below. It would have taken less time for it to occur than for the construct to get to the ground. The alarm that Sally had Nichole set off reassigned Metal to defend the Main Command Center as its utmost priority, even over the "Priority One, Hedgehog".

When Sonic had awakened from his unintended slumber his friends had warmly greeted him. They were joyous that their hero, their "Number One Hedgehog" was fine, aside from being out of commission for a few weeks.

But Sonic, well, Sonic couldn't even look them directly in the eye. He'd spent most of his recovery time dwelling on his own thoughts and getting very little sleep. His slumber was constantly being interrupted by visions of those glowing crimson eyes and that deathly metallic pallor sheen.

Lately, Sonic had taken to hiding out on the outskirts of the village as soon as he could move around on his own again without assistance. In the Great Forest he could avoid the stares of others, their whispered tones, and the awkward conversations that would suddenly be hushed whenever he passed by the others. Sonic loss had a stigma of shame and his defeat seemed to be an ominous indication that this loss signaled the inevitable conquest of Dr. Robotnik over all of Mobius.

If Robotnik had finally been able to create a mechanical being capable of vanquishing the most powerful asset of The Freedom Fighters, what were they to do but accept the inescapable fate that loomed before them? Sally, had been rallying the others as best she could, but people could tell that the Blue Blur didn't look like he had it in him anymore. She didn't even look at him the same way anymore either, when she did, there was a strained look in her eyes. That hurt worse than the blow Metal had delivered to Sonic's chest and sent him off the roof.

Tails had lost a bit of his cheerful demeanor now that his "Big Bro" was no longer the invincible superhero that the little guy had envisioned Sonic to be. The two-tailed fox had spent the most time with him out of all the visitors and had displayed the least aversion to him, but the innate kindness of the kit could only lighten Sonic's heavy heart so much.

Swinging his legs back and forth over the tree branch that Sonic rested upon, much as he did in the Grand Park when he had been a small tyke before Robotnik's coup. Back when his Uncle Chuck had pushed him on the swing and taught his nephew how to get higher off the ground.

Remembering such things made it hurt all the more, even physically. Sighing aloud in a mixture of pain and self-pity, Sonic attempted to exhale his own demons. It didn't do much for the hedgehog. Not much did these days…

** End Part 1 of 2**


	2. Chapter 2

Repeating his pattern of sorts from the last few days, Sonic gently eases himself off the tree branch he's been sitting on, and lowers himself gingerly to the forest floor. Pausing, so as to not overexert himself (and gain another lecture on being careful from a certain Princess, and the worried glances of a specific flying fox), Sonic begins his walk around the far outskirts of The Village of Knothole.

The blue hedgehog pauses for rests every few hundred paces, each time he gets a little bit further before feeling the pain in his chest from his still healing ribs. Still, the uncertainty continues to eat away at his spirit, Metal had beaten him. Beaten Him! There wasn't much else to do or say. Even if Sonic were to go for his Power Ring from the get-go, instead of leaving it as a last resort, there was no way Sonic could outmaneuver that killer robot. During the fight (a very one-sided one at that!), Sonic had activated the ring and the droid had still been able to counteract Sonic's enhanced spin-dash. Checking the mortal hero in midair and flinging Sonic from the rooftop with contemptuous ease.

Coming up to the boulder resting in the middle of a section of younger trees, Sonic took one of his many rests to have another sit-down and dwell upon his recent loss further. He went over it and focused on how the others, especially Tails and Sally now perceived him…weak, vulnerable, and no longer strong enough to protect them.

Sonic did this for so long that he ended up not noticing the tread of a pair of blue boots against the forest floor, or the redheaded chipmunk taking a seat next to him until she placed an arm on his left shoulder and quietly asking for him by name, "Sonic?"

Turning his head toward the voice from where it had been staring off into his intertwined, gloved fingers, lost in the depths of his thoughts. Sonic's brown eyes looked into Sally's blue ones. "Hey, Sal, uhhh…where'd you come from?"

"Sonic, why have you been hiding from us lately?"

"_Say what?_" Sonic asked in what he attempted to make sound like genuine surprise.

It didn't work; he was not a good actor. "Don't play coy with me Sonic! You've been avoiding everybody these last few days. As soon as you could get out of bed you've been hiding from the rest of us?" Sally's tone was upset, but fraught with deep concern.

"I've, just been…_ya know…_"

"No! _I don't know_ Sonic! You won't talk with anyone! Tails barely gets a word out of you! And you don't seem to even notice when the rest of us visit you!"

"…"

"Sonic, we care about you! All of us care about you! Will you please at least talk to me?" Sally was clearly begging, as she lifted Sonic's head up from where it had sunken in shame and been looking directly down at the ground again. His eyes scrunched up in pain as he failed to put words together and he faced her as her hands tilted his head toward her, but his eyes clearly were not having it.

"What do you want me to say Sal?"

"Anything!" Sally exasperated. "Sonic, _please…_" She beseeched him.

"I dunno know Sal…it's just that…I just can't do it anymore!"

Sally's face took on a different look; taking his face closer to hers she gave him a kiss. That snapped his eyes back to looking in hers quite quickly. Tenderly she told him, "Sonic, I know the feeling. And the only way we can do this is if we believe that we can."

Sonic's eyes widened tremendously, he stuttered out, "_Say what?!_ Since when do you **_not_** know how to do anything?!"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Sonic's mouth clenched open and shut a few times as he took this knowledge in. He'd always thought of Sally as the unshakeable foundation of The Freedom Fighters. She was always confident, she had this aura of leadership around her. For Sally to admit that she was just as scared as he was…it was just dumbfounding. "I always thought that you knew what you were doing." Sonic confessed in stunned awe.

Sally giggled lightly as she dropped her hands from his face and linked her fingers in between his. Their fingers intertwined on their own without any resistance on Sonic's end. "And here I was thinking the most confident one in any room was always you." She admitted with a sigh of relief.

"You mean to tell me we've been tryin' to call each other's bluffs _the whole time?!_"

"Sounds like it to me Sonic."

The hedgehog started to chuckle, which turned into a roar of laughter that caused his sides to hurt again, but he didn't care. Sally joined in his mirth.

After some time and some more talking they eventually got up and started to stroll back to Knothole. There was still plenty of healing to be done on a multitude of levels, but the worst wounds were now starting to heal. And Sonic could feel like he could take on the world again…and win. Looking over at the princess as they crossed the threshold of the village he simply said, "Thanks Sal…for, well, everythin' I guess."

Right back at you True Blue." She replied while she helped him walk back to his hut where a certain fox eagerly waited for his best friend's true return to Knothole.

**End Part 2 of 2**


End file.
